"
data-check-event-based-preview=""
data-is-vertical-video-embed="false"
data-network-id=""
data-publish-date="2017-08-02T20:46:34Z"
data-video-section="politics"
data-canonical-url="https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2017/08/02/trump-unveils-immigration-plan-lead-murray-dnt.cnn"
data-branding-key=""
data-video-slug="trump unveils immigration plan lead murray dnt"
data-first-publish-slug="trump unveils immigration plan lead murray dnt"
data-video-tags="donald trump,government and public administration,government bodies and offices,immigration,immigration, citizenship and displacement,international relations and national security,legislation,north america,political figures - us,politics,sara murray,united states,us federal government,white house"
data-details="">
"
data-check-event-based-preview=""
data-is-vertical-video-embed="false"
data-network-id=""
data-publish-date="2017-08-02T20:46:34Z"
data-video-section="politics"
data-canonical-url="https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2017/08/02/trump-unveils-immigration-plan-lead-murray-dnt.cnn"
data-branding-key=""
data-video-slug="trump unveils immigration plan lead murray dnt"
data-first-publish-slug="trump unveils immigration plan lead murray dnt"
data-video-tags="donald trump,government and public administration,government bodies and offices,immigration,immigration, citizenship and displacement,international relations and national security,legislation,north america,political figures - us,politics,sara murray,united states,us federal government,white house"
data-details="">
"
data-check-event-based-preview=""
data-is-vertical-video-embed="false"
data-network-id=""
data-publish-date="2018-09-25T15:30:16Z"
data-video-section="politics"
data-canonical-url="https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2018/09/25/trump-united-nations-general-assembly-immigration-ath-vpx.cnn"
data-branding-key=""
data-video-slug="trump united nations general assembly immigration ath vpx"
data-first-publish-slug="trump united nations general assembly immigration ath vpx"
data-video-tags="donald trump,government and public administration,government bodies and offices,government organizations - intl,immigration,immigration, citizenship and displacement,international relations and national security,political figures - us,refugees,united nations,us federal government,white house"
data-details="">
"
data-check-event-based-preview=""
data-is-vertical-video-embed="false"
data-network-id=""
data-publish-date="2018-08-09T20:37:15Z"
data-video-section="politics"
data-canonical-url="https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2018/08/09/judge-blocks-asylum-seekers-deportation-nr-sot-vpx.cnn"
data-branding-key=""
data-video-slug="judge blocks asylum seekers deportation nr sot vpx"
data-first-publish-slug="judge blocks asylum seekers deportation nr sot vpx"
data-video-tags="deportation,government and public administration,government bodies and offices,immigration,immigration, citizenship and displacement,international relations and national security,jeff sessions,political asylum,political figures - us,us federal government,white house"
data-details="">
"
data-check-event-based-preview=""
data-is-vertical-video-embed="false"
data-network-id=""
data-publish-date="2018-08-03T00:48:39Z"
data-video-section="politics"
data-canonical-url="https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2018/08/03/trump-pennsylvania-rally-shutdown-before-midterms-sot-vpx.cnn"
data-branding-key=""
data-video-slug="trump pennsylvania rally shutdown before midterms sot vpx"
data-first-publish-slug="trump pennsylvania rally shutdown before midterms sot vpx"
data-video-tags="border control,budget deficits,business, economy and trade,donald trump,economy and economic indicators,elections (by type),elections and campaigns,federal budget,federal budget deficit,government and public administration,government bodies and offices,government budgets,immigration,immigration, citizenship and displacement,international relations,international relations and national security,midterm elections,national security,political figures - us,political platforms and issues,politics,public debt,public finance,territorial and national borders,us federal government,us federal government shutdowns,white house"
data-details="">
"
data-check-event-based-preview=""
data-is-vertical-video-embed="false"
data-network-id=""
data-publish-date="2018-07-03T14:38:25Z"
data-video-section="politics"
data-canonical-url="https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2018/07/03/trump-administration-family-separation-unanswered-questions-valencia-nr-vpx.cnn"
data-branding-key=""
data-video-slug="trump administration family separation unanswered questions valencia nr vpx"
data-first-publish-slug="trump administration family separation unanswered questions valencia nr vpx"
data-video-tags="government and public administration,government bodies and offices,nick valencia,us department of health and human services,us federal departments and agencies,us federal government,white house"
data-details="">
"
data-check-event-based-preview=""
data-is-vertical-video-embed="false"
data-network-id=""
data-publish-date="2018-06-28T01:46:19Z"
data-video-section="politics"
data-canonical-url="https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2018/06/28/trump-ice-liberating-american-towns-sot-vpx.cnn"
data-branding-key=""
data-video-slug="Trump ice liberating american towns sot vpx"
data-first-publish-slug="Trump ice liberating american towns sot vpx"
data-video-tags="crime, law enforcement and corrections,criminal offenses,donald trump,fargo,government and public administration,government bodies and offices,immigration,immigration, citizenship and displacement,international relations and national security,midwestern united states,ms-13,north america,north dakota,organized crime,political figures - us,society,street gangs,undocumented immigrants,united states,us federal government,violence in society,white house"
data-details="">
"
data-check-event-based-preview=""
data-is-vertical-video-embed="false"
data-network-id=""
data-publish-date="2018-06-25T19:18:23Z"
data-video-section="politics"
data-canonical-url="https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2018/06/25/trump-no-regret-signing-executive-order-ending-family-separation-sot.cnn"
data-branding-key=""
data-video-slug="trump no regret signing executive order ending family separation sot"
data-first-publish-slug="trump no regret signing executive order ending family separation sot"
data-video-tags="donald trump,government and public administration,government bodies and offices,king abdullah ii,political figures - intl,political figures - us,us federal government,white house,border control,executive orders,international relations,international relations and national security,national security,territorial and national borders"
data-details="">
"
data-check-event-based-preview=""
data-is-vertical-video-embed="false"
data-network-id=""
data-publish-date="2018-06-21T20:35:49Z"
data-video-section="politics"
data-canonical-url="https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2018/06/21/white-house-chaos-family-separation-sanchez-dnt-lead.cnn"
data-branding-key=""
data-video-slug="white house chaos family separation sanchez dnt lead"
data-first-publish-slug="white house chaos family separation sanchez dnt lead"
data-video-tags="border control,boris sanchez,donald trump,executive orders,government and public administration,government bodies and offices,immigration,immigration, citizenship and displacement,international relations,international relations and national security,national security,political figures - us,territorial and national borders,undocumented immigrants,us federal government,white house"
data-details="">
"
data-check-event-based-preview=""
data-is-vertical-video-embed="false"
data-network-id=""
data-publish-date="2018-06-20T22:24:21Z"
data-video-section="politics"
data-canonical-url="https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2018/06/20/trump-boxed-in-a-corner-family-separation-todd-dnt-tsr.cnn"
data-branding-key=""
data-video-slug="trump boxed in a corner family separation todd dnt tsr"
data-first-publish-slug="trump boxed in a corner family separation todd dnt tsr"
data-video-tags="brian todd,donald trump,executive orders,government and public administration,government bodies and offices,immigration,immigration, citizenship and displacement,international relations and national security,political figures - us,politics,us congress,us federal government,white house"
data-details="">
"
data-check-event-based-preview=""
data-is-vertical-video-embed="false"
data-network-id=""
data-publish-date="2018-06-20T19:27:25Z"
data-video-section="politics"
data-canonical-url="https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2018/06/20/trump-signs-executive-order-to-end-family-separations-bts.cnn"
data-branding-key=""
data-video-slug="trump signs executive order to end family separations bts"
data-first-publish-slug="trump signs executive order to end family separations bts"
data-video-tags="donald trump,executive orders,government and public administration,government bodies and offices,immigration,immigration, citizenship and displacement,international relations and national security,political figures - us,us federal government,white house,border control,international relations,national security,territorial and national borders"
data-details="">
Video Ad Feedback
Trump signs executive order to end family separations
"
data-check-event-based-preview=""
data-is-vertical-video-embed="false"
data-network-id=""
data-publish-date="2018-06-19T17:19:17Z"
data-video-section="politics"
data-canonical-url="https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2018/06/19/trump-take-children-away-prosecute-parents-sot.cnn"
data-branding-key=""
data-video-slug="trump take children away prosecute parents sot"
data-first-publish-slug="trump take children away prosecute parents sot"
data-video-tags="donald trump,government and public administration,government bodies and offices,political figures - us,us federal government,white house"
data-details="">
"
data-check-event-based-preview=""
data-is-vertical-video-embed="false"
data-network-id=""
data-publish-date="2018-06-18T16:47:58Z"
data-video-section="politics"
data-canonical-url="https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2018/06/18/trump-blames-democrats-immigration-family-separations-sot.cnn"
data-branding-key=""
data-video-slug="trump blames democrats immigration family separations sot"
data-first-publish-slug="trump blames democrats immigration family separations sot"
data-video-tags="border control,donald trump,government and public administration,government bodies and offices,immigration,immigration, citizenship and displacement,international relations,international relations and national security,national security,north america,political figures - us,politics,territorial and national borders,united states,us democratic party,us federal government,us political parties,white house"
data-details="">
State AGs have issued the administration an ultimatum
Congress may strike an 11th hour deal to keep the government funded
WashingtonCNN
—
A suite of pressures on the policy that protects young undocumented immigrants is brewing – and it could mean the program soon either becomes permanent or disappears entirely.
Next month, the Trump administration faces both an ultimatum from challengers to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy, or DACA, and a potentially nasty government funding fight that could require an 11th hour deal to avert a shutdown.
Last week, the administration’s biggest defender of DACA moved much closer to the President, who has also spoken about being sympathetic to DACA recipients. Gen. John Kelly is now the White House chief of staff, and as homeland security secretary, he spoke frequently about preserving the program under this administration.
But the move also takes him out of the department that was responsible for issuing permits under the Obama administration policy – and he recently warned Democrats on the Hill that the program’s prospects are dim.
When Congress wraps up its August recess, members will return to a consequential month – one in which they may be forced to act whether they want to or not.
The earliest trigger will be September 5. That’s the deadline in an ultimatum issued by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and nine other state attorneys general to the Trump administration: Rescind DACA or we will challenge it in an unfriendly court. They have already succeeded in stopping a similar program to protect the parents of childhood arrivals to the US.
Trump said the ultimate decision on what to do will be made by him.
“It’s a decision that I make and it’s a decision that’s very, very hard to make. I really understand the situation now,” Trump said in a conversation with reporters on Air Force One last month. “I understand the situation very well. What I’d like to do is a comprehensive immigration plan. But our country and political forces are not ready yet.”
Trump has spoken recently about having compassion for recipients of the policy, which protects undocumented immigrants brought to the US as children from deportation and allows them to work and study in the US. But he also pledged to end the program “immediately” on the campaign trail, and his base strongly opposes the Obama administration policy they call an “amnesty.”
That could make punting the issue to Congress an appealing solution for the administration.
“My assumption is that the cleanest thing they can do, though they’ll take the vast majority of the blame for ending the program, is simply announce come September 5 a sunset of the program, that they’ll stop approving applications, and then invite Congress to work on legislation,” said a Democratic congressional staffer familiar with the issue who spoke on condition of anonymity to be candid.
Congress forced to act?
Meanwhile, Congress will have to pass a funding bill in September to keep the government open past the end of the month and raise the debt ceiling – and the White House is once again pushing for money for its promised border wall.
Democrats have signaled they won’t allow that to happen, setting up a potential government shutdown standoff.
Republicans could look for a sweetener to get the border money, and if the administration ends DACA, there could be a clamor to pass legislation that enshrines it permanently.
Congress has multiple solutions to choose from. There are bipartisan options from Sens. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, and Dick Durbin, an Illinois Democrat, who have introduced both the Bridge Act, which would protect people currently under the program, and the Dream Act, which would create a path to citizenship in the future for those eligible. Those two also have House counterparts.
DACA-supporting Republicans have lined up behind a bill from Florida Republican Rep. Carlos Curbelo, the Recognizing America’s Children Act, and Democrats have largely signed onto Illinois Rep. Luis Gutiérrez’s American Hope Act.
There are likely enough Republicans who would support such bills with Democrats to pass them – but the question remains what they would get in return to placate the part of the Republican base who would decry even allowing a vote on the bills by leadership. And Democrats would also have to agree to the asking price for a compromise, which may be equally tough for their base to swallow.
The Trump administration has also already said it would be “likely” to oppose the Dream Act, according to a briefing with legislative director Marc Short.
Thus far, leadership is keeping their cards close to the vest.
“I think it’s really important to talk about securing the borders and enforcing the law,” Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn said when asked Thursday about DACA at an announcement for his border security bill.
Advocacy groups on high alert
Advocacy groups that support DACA have been holding press conferences, events and rallies in recent weeks in anticipation of a potential opening to save the program.
Democratic state attorneys general have launched their own effort to protect DACA, and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund has preemptively petitioned the court to not consider any move to include DACA in the ongoing litigation.
On the other side, right-wing groups that oppose what they consider an “amnesty” for undocumented immigrants are mobilizing to ensure Republicans hold firm – and preparing to punish any that would allow for a deal on DACA without a massive concession from Democrats.
The Democratic staffer acknowledged that the issue may be unresolvable, as both sides are going to be unhappy with the deal the other wants to strike.
“This idea that we can reach some kind of bipartisan compromise, that used to be true, but the groups on both sides are so dug in. … These are two groups that hate each other and they can’t talk to each other, and there’s nothing in between,” the staffer said.